Saturday, October 23, 2010

Since purchasing my Apple iPad in July, the device hardly ever leaves my sight. It's on my work desk all day and it's somewhere within easy grasp while at home.

I am an information junkie. The more information I have the more information I want. Both my Apple iPad and my iPhone have over 100 apps installed and most of those apps are news and information gathering apps. Since the purchase of my Apple iPad there are unopened magazines in my mail pile at home that I have yet to even glance at in what I now describe as the "Apple iPad era." At renewal I plan to cancel all but one of the few magazine subscriptions we receive at home. The Apple iPad is a far superior means to access and consume content than waiting on the mail for publications in print.

The impact of the "Apple iPad era" is unfolding before our eyes as developers see opportunities in iPad-specific apps and Apple ramps supply of iOS-based devices to meet global demand and further the company's multi-product, integrated approach to the market. In the iPad era I'm even looking at my Apple iPhone from a new perspective.

In addition to being my primary device for voice communication, the iPhone is a pocket-sized complement to the tablet-sized Apple iPad. From app-based news alerts to dozens of apps shared with the iPad, the iPhone has become a practical extension of the way I use the Apple iPad. In this context the iPhone's functionality has been enhanced by my heavy use of the Apple iPad.

The iPhone is an excellent device for voice communication, text messaging and emails while on the go. As a companion to the Apple iPad it has become more useful mobile resource. I use the Apple iPad for email much more than I use the iPhone. The iPhone has become a pocket-sized means to follow-up on communications that were sourced on the Apple iPad and access updates to news stories I have begun to follow. The shared app resources makes this integration all the more possible.

Apple's MobileMe service syncs all of my iOS-based mobile devices together and with my Mac. Shared bookmarks, calendars, contacts and emails allows me to continue with the work I started on my iPad when the device is out of reach or I'm at locations or events for which I'd prefer not to carry around a tablet-sized device.

There are tens of millions of iPhone users worldwide and millions of those users may come to see the Apple iPad as a practical means to enhance the usefulness of the phone they already own. There will also be tens of millions of new Apple iPad users over the next 12 months. Of those new users there are potentially millions who will see the iPhone as both a logical and natural next step in the iPad's immersive experience.

Apple's multi-product iOS paradigm may prove increasingly irresistible for users seeking to extend, expand or enhance the usefulness of any one particular iOS-based device they own. A mutual halo effect among the devices should be expected.

In September I activated 3G service on my Apple iPad to use the device at an off-site conference. The iPad worked splendidly as my primary communication and productivity device over the four-day event. The 3G service also came in quite handy when my office lost Internet service on a weekday morning.

Not to let an investment of $14.99 for a month's 3G go to waste without making the most of the dollars, I took the Apple iPad on a short road trip to test its uses as a navigation device. For those of us who have made use of an Apple iPhone or other smartphone to find directions and track progress to a selected destination, the Apple iPad is a singular delight. The iPad's comparatively massive screen eliminates the need to squint when tracking progress and the "pinch and zoom" ability allows one to travel greater distances without moving the map in response to the miles already travelled. Absent the desire for audible turn by turn directions, there's no reason to look beyond the Apple iPad for a navigation solution when 3G service is activated. In addition to providing a much larger screen to track progress to a destination, locations detailed along the way are much easier to see and note.

Alas, I cancelled the 3G service hours before its automatic renewal to save on another month's charge. For now the service isn't needed. But I won't hesitate to activate it again if for no other reason than to have the 3G iPad's navigation tools available for the next business or personal trip out of the area and to unfamiliar surrounds.

The iPad Chronicles

There are many stories behind Apple's performance numbers. The focus of this blog is to highlight real world uses of Apple products with observations and commentary drawn from my personal experiences integrating technology into everyday life.